His first one year odyssey out of the States began in 1957 through Europeto South Africa.
In Sweden
he was the magnet for the best musicians in concerts and recordings.
In Stockholm he performed with the Harry Arnold
Radio Studio Orchestra making the arrangement of Lullaby
of Birdland(in the style of Bach
fugue) for the February 19th Swedish Radio concert.
Scott formed in Sweden a quartet with Rune Offerman(p),
Gunner Johnson(b) Egil
Johnson(d), and recorded the four fantastic virtuoso 45 eps which
included Swingin in Sweden, Night
in Tunisia, Blues for Ava; I
can’t Get Started; Moonlight In Vermont;
All The Things You Are and I’ll
Remember April.
"Tony Scott gave a real vitamin injection to the Swedish jazz scene." (Orkester Journalen)
The tour went on to Denmark, Finland, Holland, Germany, France, and Yugoslavia, where, in Ljubljana, he did a live-recording with the Horst Jankowski Trio: In Concert. It was there that he performed his first improvised dedication to Charlie Parker: Blues for Charlie Parker. It was transmitted throughout the world on The Voice of America conducted by Willis Conover. From that moment on the song became the most requested and applauded in all his concerts.
He left for a tour in South Africa, organized by manager David Katznelson, and even there reviews spoke about Blues for Charlie Parker performed during the two Cape Town concerts:
"...the highlight of both shows was definitely his 'Blues for Charlie Parker’. Played with intense emotion, this number conveyed to all, the tenderness and adoration Scott held for Parker." (Garth Jowett - Metronome)
"On the 19th of August, 1957, South Afrika had its first visit from an American jazz musician. The man who had the pleasure of ‘breaking the ice’ is poll-winner, clarinetist, Tony Scott, who has toured in all major cities " (Garth Jowett - Metronome)
The man who refused to play only for whites. (Drum Magazine-South Africa)
U.S.A. Agency USIS told Tony Scott they could not
help him financially as he was into anti-apartheid territory with his
ideas of integrated musicians and public. He decided to go in Africa without
the support of USIS, and the tour, occurred during the apartheid era,
had a sold-out hall and multi-racial audience; the first time that a concert
was held for an integrated audience of Whites, Colored, Blacks, Indians,
etc.
Tony Scott played at Johannesburg Jamieson Hall
- Cape Town University, and Durban ABC
Radio program Artist in Rythm.
He was accompanied by Noel Stockton(p), Max Runge(p) (substituted
by George Kassel), and Alan Heyes(dr), all white Afrikaans.
On his way back through Johannesburg, he recorded for RCA with a groups
of African musicians, amongst whom were the pennywhistles Alexander
Dead End Kids and an African women’s vocal group. On his return to
the U.S.A. in November 1957, the government demonstrated its appreciation
for his work with a letter of congratulation :
"While you were visiting the different countries...you were able through the medium of music, to create among the musicians with whom you met, as well your audience, a feeling of friendship for our country I wish to commend you for the part you are taking in helping to establish a firm foundation for good among your fellow men." (Personal letter from Vice President Richard Nixon)
Scott went back to the USA and on the 16th of November 1957, in only one day, Tony’s Quartet, Quintet, and Sextet ,composed of Bill Evans(p), Henry Grimes(b), Paul Motian(d), Jimmy Knepper(tb), Sahib Shihab(bar), and Clark Terry(tp) recorded all of the following:
- Perfect 12010 My Kind of Jazz
- Seeco 425 The Modern Art of Jazz
- Carlton 12-113 Free Blown Jazz
And the following songs: A
Shoulder to Cry On and At Home With the Blues
(on Harmony 7196); Over and Over, the alternative
track of The Chant (on Allegro (E) ALL 737); and
Francy Pants (issued on Dick Garcia-The
Hi-FI Land of Jazz -Seeco 428).
During these years Tony Scott appeared in numerous
television shows, including:
The Steve Allen Show, The Sid Caesar
Spectacular, The Jan Murray Show, The Paul Whiteman Show, Camera III,
The Colgate Variety hour, The Art Ford Show and Omnibus.
From the beginning of 1958,
he played on eight of the twelve NBC
programs Subject is Jazz Series, Billy
Taylor musical director, and guests as Duke Ellington,
Yank Lawson, Willie 'The Lion' Smith, Doc Severinsen, Buck Clayton, Benny
Morton, Ben Webster, Mundell Lowe, Langston Hughes (poet), Al Minns
(dance), Ed Thigpen, Aaron Copeland, George Russell, Bill Evans, Art
Farmer, Gene Quill and Barry Galbraith.
The year 1958 also brought a number of memorable events:
- May 16th, Scott played at New York
City Town Hall Down
Beat Concert with his quintet: Jimmy Knepper(tb), Kenny
Burrell(g), Sam Jones(b), and Paul Motian(d). From the
concert, Tony Scott’s songs Blues for an African
Friend; Scrapple From the Apple; and
There Will Never Be Another You have
been recorded (Dot Records)
"Mr. Scott has stretched the jazz range of
his instrument farther than any of his contemporaries.
His playing is almost always touched by a sense of the dramatic that is
in marked contrast to the sullen glumness of the bulk of post-war jazz
musicians. Last night he mixed both qualities playing with a fiery intensity
that constantly seemed in danger of busting beyond the capabilities of
the clarinet. Yet with all its fire, the music was disciplined and brilliantly
logical.
He is the most exciting jazz musician playing today "
(John S. Wilson, The New York Times)
Scott organized at 6 a.m., in the bar of N.Y.C.Airport, a musical reception with Jimmy Knepper, Coleman Hawkins, Tommy Flanagan, Gene Ramey, Walter Bolden, Bill Evans, Paul Motian, in honor of the arriving International Youth Orchestra (invited by George Wein for the ‘58 Newport Festival ). The youth orchestra was made up of young European musicians including Albert Mangelsdorff, Gil Cuppini, Dusko Goikovich.
I remember a giant jam session that I organized
in honor of the International Youth Orchestra at Minton's
Playhouse. With them on the stage were also Billie Holiday,
Ben Webster and Cannonball Adderley.
On July 5th 1958- Saturday afternoon
- the Tony Scott Quartet played at the Newport
Jazz Festival:
The traditional and swing contingents were represented by Louis Armstrong,
Jack Teagarden, Peewee Russell, Duke Ellington’s band, and Benny Goodman.
The concert was played at the House of Elaine and Louis Lorillard, sponsors
and organizers of the Newport jazz festival with George Wein as musical
director.
"The best music of the entire four days was produced at a small session put together by clarinetist Tony Scott. For this, Scott abandoned his regular instrument and took a baritone sax in hand. His associates in the venture were Chico Hamilton,(dr), Eric Dolphy(as), John Pisano(gt), Hal Gaylor(b). They wailed for four hours and it was jazz of rare beauty, vitality and intensity. It was, to put it mildly, tremendous and alone worth the trip to Newport." (Don Nelsen, Daily News)
On July 29th
Scott won Down beat Critics Poll
New Star on baritone sax and # 1 on clarinet.
On October 6,7 &13 1958, Tony Scott and
the All Stars were recorded for Coral 52nd
Street Scene. Musicians were: Jimmy Knepper(tb), Coleman
Hawkins(ts), Tommy Flanagan(p) Gene Ramey(b), Walter
Bolden(d) Oscar Pettiford, Roy Haynes, Joe Thomas, Pee Wee Russell,
Sonny White, Denzil Best, George Wallington, Mundell Lowe, Red Rodney,
Wilbur De Paris and J.C.Higginbotham.
In 1959,
June15 Tony Scott played into a clarinet
quartet including him, Putte Wickman, Sol Yaged, and Bob Wider at the
Bechet
memorial Jazz Concert - Will Help
Form a Cancer Fund - at the
NYC Carnegie Hall
(Great clarinet player
Sidney Bechet
died of cancer May 14, 1959 in Paris.)
In 1959, October, musicians Mundell Lowe, Jimmy Garrison, Pete La Rocca, Scott La Faro, and Bill Evans, alternated in Scott’s Quartet to record albums: Gypsy; Golden Moments; I'll Remember and Tony Scott Sung Heroes (title following changed to Dedications in later reissues.) In this last disc Tony Scott, talent scout of exceptional talent that he is, brought together for the first time what was to become the famous Evans Motian-Scott LaFaro Trio.
"It’s hard to keep in shape when you get to the top, everybody keeps chipping away at you. They wanted me to dance dates, go commercial if you stand still for public acclamation, you’re going to miss yourself." (Tony Scott)
"The clarinet is dead and I hate funerals." (Tony Scott)
"All my friends, my inspirers are dead: Charlie
Parker, my prophet and greatest friend ('55), Art
Tatum ('56), Big Sid Catlett ('57),
Lester Young
('58), Billie
Holiday ('59) and
for me the creativity in jazz died with them .I’m looking for new sounds,
new feeling and a change of thought. Japan will be only the first stop
to fill my soul for my creative spirit, I must get out and search for
new sources." (Tony Scott)
November 3, 1959: Scott left the USA for the Far East
mainland after his last October job in NYC, at the Show
Boat Club in Greenwich Village, with Bill
Evans(piano), Philly Joe Jones(dr),
Jimmy Garrison(bass).
©Cinzia Scott
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